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 | Maccabi has confirmed that there will be no fans at the match with Aston Villa: As a result of lies and hatred, a toxic atmosphere has been created that calls into question their safety18-03-2026 |
Maccabi Tel Aviv has confirmed that its fans will not be at the game against Aston Villa. Earlier it became known that fans of the Israeli club were banned from attending the away game with Aston Villa in the Europa League due to possible security problems.
We acknowledge the efforts of the UK Government and Police to ensure that both groups of fans can attend the match safely and are grateful for the messages of support from the football community and wider society.
We as a club believe that football should bring people together, not divide them, and no one should feel unsafe for simply wanting to come and support their team or have any hesitation about bringing their family and friends.
We have extensive experience in bringing people together. We promote football talent from all over the world, regardless of race or religion. Our core team includes Muslim, Christian and Jewish players, and our fans are also ethnically and religiously diverse. We also work tirelessly to root out racism among the more extreme elements of our fan base.
Unfortunately, these problems are not limited to Israeli football, the sport faces them all over the world, including in the UK. It is clear that various entrenched groups are seeking to denigrate Maccabi Tel Aviv fans, most of whom have nothing to do with racism or hooliganism of any kind.
The latest example is the people who rushed to blame our fans for the cancellation of yesterday`s derby. This is not true, but it is easier to believe than to doubt, especially when it fits the information agenda.
Our fans regularly travel throughout Europe without incident and the suggestion that our fans are not allowed to attend matches because of their behavior is an attempt to distort reality and justify the real reasons behind the decision to exclude our fans. Our fans and the Jewish community know this tactic all too well, and they all understand exactly what it can lead to.
We are also concerned about the interference of divisive figures who do not represent the values of our club. We condemn all disgusting views that have no place in football. As a result of these hateful lies, a toxic atmosphere has been created that calls into question the safety of our fans wishing to attend the event. Inflammatory rhetoric and the spread of half-truths are always harmful, but in this particular case, the comments made are most troubling.
Perhaps it is worth taking a closer look at the information agenda we are talking about - not for the sake of Maccabi Tel Aviv or football, but for the sake of society and its fundamental values.
The well-being and safety of our fans is of paramount importance and, based on hard lessons learned, we have made the decision to no longer support fans attending the match and our decision should be understood in that context. We hope that circumstances will change and look forward to. . .